Never
by hawthorners
Summary: Jeb convinces Wanda she needs rest, and since Sunny's here, she can go with Jared, Kyle, and Ian. One shot.


Never

* * *

When Jeb proposed the idea, she refused it. When everyone except her agreed to it, she forbade it. But, when Melanie gave in, she went along with it.

Jeb thought that Wanda needed a break from the raiding. Since we have Sunny, he thought that Wanda could stay here this time. He said we only needed Jared, Kyle, Sunny, and me.

"It's really nothing, really, just shopping. It's not tiring at all!" She protested. It wasn't because of her selfless nature, it was because I would be leaving and she would be staying here.

"My house, my rules," was his only response. I didn't like the thought of leaving Wanda here, either, but they need me.

"Please, Jeb? If Kyle gets to go with Sunny why can't go with Ian? It's not fair." It really wasn't, when you look at it from her point of view.

"Kyle and Sunny are needed for entire different purposes. Melanie isn't going with Jared, is she?" Jeb retorted. He was getting tired of this, I could tell.

I saw Melanie whisper something to Wanda with a sad look in her eyes. Only Melanie understands Wanda on that level. They were sharing the same mind for a year, after all. They think of themselves as sisters, now.

"Fine," Wanda nodded.

She leaned back in my arms- a tired gesture. I picked her up and carried her to our room. Wanda closed her eyes, her face looking peaceful. It always looked that way, but even more when she was drifting off to sleep. I lay her on the bed and put the door back in it's place. When I turned around, her face was shining with tears. In two quick strides I was comforting her, brushing her hair out of her face.

"I don't want you to go," she mumbled, her voice muffled by my shirt.

"I know, Wanda, I know. But I have to, I'm the only one who thinks things through," I sighed.

"But they have Jared," she pushed. Her eyelashes glittered in the moonlight. I thought it was just naturally like that, but it sparkled wet with tears.

"They need me, though. I'm sorry, Wanda." I wiped her tears away.

"Then why can't I come with you?" She asked, her voice tired.

"You need a break, you really do. You strain yourself every day to try and help every one and it's too much for you, Wanda," I explained. "We just went on a raid two weeks ago. It wouldn't be fair to make you go again."

"Okay," she sighed. We fell asleep like that, her curled into a tight ball beside me while I took up most of the bed.

I woke up to shouts coming from the tunnel. "We're leaving in 10," Jared whispered. When he opened the door light shined in Wanda's face. She squinted at the bright light from the flashlight outside our cave.

"No," she croaked, her voice still filled with sleep. She sat up, battling the urge to lay back down and close her eyes.

"Wanda, we'll be all right, I promise." I brushed my lips against her forehead "We'll be back soon, okay?" I leaned and kissed her, running my hand against her cheek. She was crying. "Wanda, I'll be fine, really. I love you. See you soon." I squeezed her hand before I left, leaving my Wanderer behind me.

* * *

My head pounded from lack of sleep while my brother curled up with Sunny in the passenger seat. It wasn't fair, not at all. He gets to spend all the time he wants with Sunny while Wanda's sitting at home waiting for me?

The past nine days went smoothly, but all I want to do is go home. And by the looks of things, we'll make it back in two days. It's fast, but not fast enough.

"I was thinking we would stop before we got home," Jared says groggily. He just woke up from a nap. Without all of the people piled in the back, it's easy to get a few hours of sleep stretched out on the seats.

"Fine." My headache might be affecting my mood. "Where?"

Jared rubs the sleep out of his eyes. "Uh," he glances at the map. "San Manuel, I guess. It's not too close but we'll be risking it." I nod my head.

In the five hours it takes to get there, I keep my eyes on the road. My eyes go dry quickly from straining them too much. Sunny takes over driving when we get into town. She gets in and out of the store quickly, which I'm thankful for. There's less worrying to do if it's done within the shortest time possible.

Kyle takes over driving so I can get some sleep. I lay down in the back of the van and close my eyes. When I think not much time has gone by, it's already dark out.

"We're almost there," Jared says quietly. He's driving now, and Kyle and Sunny are sleeping seat next to him. I nod my head and stretch my arms out. "I wasn't a big fan of this either, you know. Leaving Mel. But we couldn't let Kyle and Sunny go alone. And without me, you guys would rip each other's heads off. We need you to think things through."

"Yeah," is all I can say. I don't want to fight, really. Not when we're this close to home. This close to happiness and relief.

Jared like driving in silence, like I do, so I don't start a conversation. I stare out the windows and look at the stars my Wanderer came from.

Jared pulled up to the cave entrance and parked the van. I woke up Kyle to help unload and Sunny to go and get more people. I picked up as many boxes as I could hold and walked at my quickest pace down to the storage area. The cave that Wanda used to be held prisoner in.

I try to push my memories away as I set my box down and leave. I don't stop walking until I reach our room. As quietly as I can, I move the red door out of the way.

Wanda's curled up in the bed, wearing one of my t-shirts. Instead of curling up in a ball like she usually does, her face is right where my chest would be. Other than that she curves to what would shape my body.

I want to wake her up, to see her beautiful reflective eyes, but I shouldn't because that was the point of her not going with me. For her to get her rest. She mumbles something in her sleep. I never hear her mumble, maybe it's because I'm such a deep sleeper.

She mutters again, and I catch my name. She's mumbling my name in her sleep. I take two quick strides over to her on the bed and shake her gently, waking her from any nightmare.

"Ian," she says more clearly this time, but still groggy. "Ian you're back!" She gasped. Wanda sat up and folded herself into my chest.

"Miss me?" I grinned. Wanda nodded her head against me.

"You're never leaving me here again," she demanded.

"Never," I laughed.

* * *

I don't really know where this was going. Originally, the whole point was Wanda was in Ian's t-shirt on Ian's side of the bed. Because I thought that would be kind of cute, but idk this is the shortest one I've ever wrote and I don't really know if I like it.

And if you did, please tell me! I love hearing your guys's opinions, so please review. Constructive criticism is very helpful, too.

Sorry for the spelling errors, my computer isn't the greatest, it doesn't spell check for me.


End file.
